One little Christmas tree
by Disasteriffic Kaz
Summary: Dean finds a Xmas tree that…is lacking a little. Post 6x15 just because. Humorous fluff resides herein. :D


**Title:** One little Christmas tree…

**Author**: Disasteriffic Kaz

**Info:** Dean finds a Xmas tree that…is lacking a little. Post 6x15 just because. Humorous fluff resides herein. :D

**Author's note:** This little piece was inspired by a pic Xenascully posted earlier today and I decided a little holiday fluff was in order. :D Hope you all enjoy it!

**Do please Review once you've read. :D Every comment and vote of support helps keep me writing. Not to mention if I've pooched anything, someone can always tell me. :P**

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Sam watched his brother unload what he loosely called a Christmas tree on to the little table in their motel room. It was sparse, having no more than seven or eight branches. The needles were dry and long gone brown and even as he watched, showered to the table with every movement as Dean tried to stand it straight in the little ice bucket. Dean pulled something small and white from his pocket and Sam's mouth quirked in a smile when he saw it was a little angel tree topper and Dean perched it on top of the little, desiccated tree.

Castiel watched the whole process from the other side of the room with great interest. He didn't truly understand the human need to observe the birth of their savior on the wrong day of the year but he supposed it was one of those things he never would. He tilted his head as Dean fussed over the sorry little tree, sure that they were supposed to be bigger and greener than the one Dean had found.

"The tree is not right," Castiel observed in his customary quiet voice.

Sam chuckled. "See, Dean? Even the Angel knows that is one pathetic Charlie Brown tree."

"Shut up, both of ya." Dean turned a glare at them both and went to back to trying to straighten his miniscule tree. He smothered a growl of frustration when he bumped it and more of the dry needles showered to the top of the table. He heard a snort of laughter behind him and didn't bother to look at Sam. He was sure if he saw his brother's smirking face at that moment he'd put a fist through it.

"Really, Dean." Sam went to stand beside him and worked not to laugh at the little, pathetic tree. "It's the thought that counts and…this is awesome." He reached up to tap the little angel topper Dean had propped atop the lone spindly branch extending straight up. The movement proved to be the last straw. The tree stuttered to the side and the last of its needles along with a branch fell to the table. "Oh man, I'm…I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"Forget it." Dean straightened and stared down at the remains of his attempt at having a Christmas. It was stupid, he knew, to be this upset about a stupid tree. The last few years had been a dance from one tragedy to another with his relationship with his brother stretched thin to breaking at points. They hadn't truly had a moment to just be family since before his deal came due; since that last Christmas together and Sam's rocket fuel eggnog. Having him back now after so many months with only his soulless, cold body walking beside him; he had wanted to recapture that feeling for both of them.

"Dean?" Sam asked as his brother turned without a word, grabbed his jacket and headed for the door. "Where are you going?"

"Out," Dean said simply and left.

"I do not understand." Castiel came to stand beside Sam and look down at the dead tree. "Why is a decidedly…" He picked up one brittle branch and curled his fingers around the dried wood. "…sad example of an under grown Spruce tree hold so much meaning for Dean?"

Sam ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "It's complicated, Cas." He brushed the dried needles into a pile and picked up the little angel topper. "And I think I ruined it for him. Dammit."

"Explain," Castiel said simply and turned the full force of his gaze on Sam from inches away, waiting with the quiet expectation that always made Sam feel like a kid in the principal's office.

"Uh…alright."

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Dean parked in front of the motel room and sat back in the driver's seat. He didn't really want to go back in and see the results of his pathetic attempt again. He shook his head and got out. Maybe he'd just grab Sam and go get him drunk. That was usually entertaining if he started slipping him Tequila. He smirked and went to the door. He opened it and then stopped, staring in the doorway.

"What the hell?" Dean said and was shocked. The room had been transformed into a Christmas wonderland. Garland hung around the window and the bathroom door, lights blinked where they hung on the wall above a short, bushy tree decorated with more lights and multi-colored bulbs with the angel tree topped he'd found perched on top.

"Hey. Dean." Sam hopped down from the chair he'd been standing on tacking up the end of another garland and smiled sheepishly. "Um…Cas got a little…carried away."

Castiel walked out of the bathroom with blinking lights hanging over and around his shoulders, trailing an end behind him and a puzzled frown. "Sam, I do not believe these were meant to light a bathroom. The effect is most…disconcerting."

Sam snorted and chuckled with a shake of his head. "You're just supposed to hang them over the toilet, man."

Dean shook himself and walked in, letting the door shut behind him and stood over the short tree on the table. "See you found a real tree." He wasn't sure why, but he felt a little sad that the one he'd brought hadn't survived. He'd wanted that sad little tree to thrive.

"It is the same tree." Castiel said while trying to unwind the lights from around him.

"Wait…what?" Dean looked at him and back to the undeniably healthy and lush tree in front of him. "That's crap, Cas."

"Hang on…stop…stop helping." Sam took the lights and worked to disentangle the Angel while he got his hands in the way trying to do it himself. "Cas did it, he…would you put your arm down?" Sam laughed and pulled a loop of lights over the man's head.

"I merely infused the remains of your tree with my Grace." Cas scowled as Sam tugged on the lights over his chest, snagging his coat. "It was not entirely dead. Life still remained."

"He saved it," Sam said simply and smiled as he freed Castiel from the last of the lights.

Dean felt a surprising moisture in his eyes, stinging at him as he looked at his once dead tree. He sniffed and scrubbed a hand down his face. He nodded. "Cas does that." His voice was soft and gruff, tight with suppressed emotion and he smiled. He backed up to appreciate the tree and then tilted his head, peering closely at the top. "Dude, is that…is the angel…wearing a tie?" He turned and watched Sam dissolve into laughter while Castiel straightened his rumpled raincoat. "Where the hell did you find a tie small enough for that?"

"I believe it was called…a Doctor Ken doll." Castiel took his own tie and flattened it down his chest studiously before looking over at the tree. "Sam said every tree needs a proper angel."

"Dude." Dean stared at him. "You stole Barbie's boyfriend's tie?" Dean smirked then his face split wide in a grin and he broke into laughter.

Sam stood and took a small cup of eggnog from the table and handed it to Dean. "Here." He wiped tears of laughter from his eyes and grinned at him. "Look like you could use it."

Dean sniffed experimentally and felt his own eyes water up. "More rocket fuel?"

Sam smirked. "The bottle slipped…again."

"Uh huh." Dean took a sip and sucked in a breath as it burned down his throat and cleared his sinuses. "Oh yeah," He wheezed. "Rocket fuel."

"Would rocket fuel not be poison?" Castiel picked up another of the cups and sniffed it before taking a gulp of the liquid.

Dean watched him, brows raised and waiting for the inevitable explosion of breath. "Cas?"

"This is not rocket fuel." Castiel raised the cup and peered at it. "It is eggnog with a disturbingly high alcohol content."

Sam shook his head and clapped the angel on the shoulder. "That's the point of eggnog, Cas."

"Well it is when you let Sam make it." Dean took another gulp of his and looked around the room, at the tree, his angel and his smiling little brother. He watched Sam's smile falter into worry and that undid him. He sniffed again. "Stuff's makin' my eyes water," He said gruffly and turned back to the tree and its ridiculous angel tree top and its tie. "Thanks guys."

Sam's concern faded back into happiness and he draped an arm over Dean's shoulders. "Merry Christmas, Dean."

Dean waved a hand in front of his face and looked over at Sam's grinning face. "You smell like a distillery." He smirked when Sam giggled…honest to goodness giggled and rolled his eyes. "Test your own eggnog a few too many times, little brother?" Dean chuckled and gave him a push toward the little couch. "Turn the tv on and find the game already."

"I should be going." Castiel nodded to Dean and prepared to leave them to their observation of Christmas tradition.

"Whoa! Whoa, Cas! Where you think you're going?" Dean grabbed his arm and pushed him toward the couch as well. "Christmas is for family, Cas."

"Yes, and yours is…giggling on the couch," Castiel said and felt a smile tug at his lips as Sam snorted at a cartoon before changing the channel to a game of football.

"You're family too, Cas." Dean gave him another nudge until the angel dropped to sit beside Sam with a bemused look on his face.

"Cas needs more eggnog." Sam decided with a firm nod of his head and reached for the bottle he'd filled to pour him more. "Hey, Cas? How much liquor does it take to make an angel drunk?"

Castiel studied Sam's smiling face and cheerful eyes and shrugged. "I do not know, Sam."

"Well that sounds like a challenge." Dean smiled and sat on Sam's other side. He held his own cup out for a refill and leaned back. He looked over to the tree again and really smiled for the first time in a long time.

"Is the tree acceptable, Dean?" Castiel asked, watching Dean study his handiwork and worried he had forgotten something.

"It's perfect, Cas." Dean nodded and turned back, raising his glass. Sam knocked his against Dean's then took Castiel's wrist and pulled the angel's hand and cup up to knock against Dean's glass as well. "You are such a dork when you're buzzed," Dean laughed.

"What is a…dork?" Castiel too his hand back and cocked his head with curiosity.

Dean snorted and pointed a thumb at Sam. "That is a dork, Cas."

"Shut up." Sam rolled his eyes and took a gulp of his eggnog with a smirk. "He's pulling your leg, Cas."

"He is not pulling my leg, Sam. My legs are over here." Castiel nodded and then tilted his head again. The motion caused Sam to snort into his eggnog. "This is another of those…metaphors, isn't it?"

Dean nodded and hid his grin in his eggnog as Sam launched in to explaining the football game to Castiel. He leaned back again and watched, listening and snuck looks over at the tree with shining eyes. Maybe, he thought to himself, just maybe things would be better for them…someday.

"Dude." Sam threw an arm over Dean's shoulders and pulled him in, pointing to Cas. "He says…wait, you gotta explain a Hail Mary pass to him cause…" Sam broke off to laugh. "l…He says Mary never played Football." He dissolved into chuckles and didn't realize he had leaned into Dean's shoulder in a way he hadn't since they were kids nor did he see the brief look of surprise and then warmth wash across his brother's face.

Dean snorted softly and impulsively ran a hand backwards through Sam's hair, shifting the overlong locks forward into his eyes and making him sputter indignantly. Dean grinned and put Sam in a headlock. "Ok, Cas. Football for Angels."

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The End.


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